Well, it’s been a busy summer since I had my results for the last part of level 5 and now it’s time to get back to the studios for a refresher of what we’ll be doing this year.
This is my 5th year (2025/26) and the first half of Level 6 and next year (2026/27) I’ll complete the second half of level 6. The only difference will be that the group I’m with this year, and was with last year, will complete their three year course this year meaning I will be with another group for my final year of the BA Photography Degree.
Welcome Week
This week is the precursor to the modules and desinged to inform us students of what will be expected from us this year, what opportunities will be available, and support that will be available for us too.
As we all sat in the studio in front of the TV for a short presentation we were introduced to six new level 6 students, some from Walsall, Halesowen and possibly elsewhere.
Euripides showed us many inspirational stories of the alumni from Wolves Photo and fine art that have succeeded in the world of work after uni.
Some of the images that we looked at featured formalism, contextual, portraits, abstract and even photographing the ordinary in a way that helps it appear more important.
The work doesn’t need to be an important message, but the most compelling works in the past have a point or a message.
Technical Expertise:
Whilst we are encouraged to run with some ideas it does not mean we should forget the importance of technical expertise, how to use the studio, the cameras, the lights, the software and all manner of tools available.
Networking:
The opportunity to work with other organisations, educational, business and other professional orgs.
Ways of working together to make the backdrops that might go on to prove so valuable in the future, provides a chance to work with others.
We worked with the BIMM Musicians last year and this was a good way of reminding the new Level 6s that we have some good connections with BIMM and also with some live music venues around the city.
Entrepreneurial Mindset:
Live briefs through the Canvas page will offer the chance to go out and work with other businesses and customers, this gives us a feeling of how to work in the real world of photography. We will be presented with ideas and opportunities to perhaps go and make some money whilst setting up a relationship or two for after the course finishes.
Degree Show:
Euripides then talked of the Degree Show and how there are some awards presented at the show from Multi Story, Kodak, and Blast! These can offer a great addition to your CV or portfolio and even the possibility of scholarships that help with funds to work with a gallery or even publications.
the information on the degree show and these awards will be shared with us in 8 & 9
Second Session
The after break session saw us given lots of info about timetables and technical stuff.
Timetables
The timetable that would cause me issues is that I should be at the University on Tuesday Morning until 13:00 hours in room MK202 watching seminars to help in the preparation for the contextual assignments and the dissertation.
Wednesday morning will be in MKb25 and features the opportunity to produce work for the Independent Practice. It will be the photographing and printing of the work that might go into the Degree Show exhibition.
Tuesday Afternoon and Wednesday Afternoon are to be spent in MK045 and MKb25 respectively. The former will be for Masterclasses on techniques and skills needed for the year. The latter will be for the production of the work, including the marketing, online presence, gallery curation skills, and the soft skills that aren’t covered by the practical photography works.
There will be tutorials on the Wednesday morning and there will be an expectation to be there all morning, with no going home after your tutorial. The meeting with the tutor will provide the support we need to carry on progressing and making sure we’re still on target, and not wandering off.
This will not be a check on how much you’ve done but more of an opportunity to receive support if you need it.
Dissertation
Dissertation should be written before Christmas and then we’ll get “feed forward” from Gavin on how to improve it for the end submission in May.
In Week 1, next week, we will talk about the structure of the dissertation and begin a task to create a dump of ideas that we might use for the topic.
I have started working on some ideas for dissertations and a project to take photos of but I’ll share this next week.
Work/Life Balance
Before getting to the Uni, I had seen the timetable and noticed that the sessions for my module are on Tue and Wed mornings. This means that I would finish Uni at 13:00 hours in Wolverhampton and have to drive back to Shrewsbury to finish the day off in the workplace. I work full time so I still need to do my job as well as my studying.
With the issues I could see with the lack of being at my workplace I asked Euripides, the course leader, if there was any way that I could do both sessions on the Tuesday, thus allowing me to spend the whole of Tuesday in Uni and the rest of the week in my workplace carrying out my day job.
Prior to May this year I was in a job that gave me no headspace to think about anything other than the work, even being there almost every day until 8pm. I changed this year back into the IT team as the IT supervisor and this return to a sort of comfort zone has given me some room to contemplate the course properly. My manager has been very supportive and hasnt raised any real issues but I feel the weight of responsibility to get my day job done and be an active and effective member of my team.
Gavin who will lead my module this year has talked to Euripides already and worked out that the tutorials I would normally have on the Wed morning could be brought forward and do it on the Tuesday afternoon. This would allow me to do the seminars in the morning with the rest of the L6 group and then have a tutorial in the afternoon, and only need to come in on the Wednesday in the event of a group review, this is only a couple of times per academic year.
This sounds like a wonderful bit of engineering by the lecturers and I’m grateful to them for helping me fit my part time studies around my full time job. I’ve actually booked two days off work next week to spend as much time as possible at the uni for the first week. I can use any available time to head to the library and look up books or, as Gavin suggested, some Architectural Journals on the top floor. He says that they have some super clean design style and amazing pictures of the buildings and structures created by the architects of today and yesterday.
First Rule
There was also mention of a Film Club opportunity that might run on a Friday morning and will see ten places opened up for students to work in the dark room and be taught how to properly use split grade printing on fibre paper. The work that would come out of these sessions would then be submitted into the Ilford FIlm competition. This competition might also lead to a great addition for the CV and even some extra consumables for your practice.
Unfortunately, this will be on a Friday morning, when I work until 12:30. The earliest I would be able to get there is 13:30 so I will not be able to take advantage of what is an awesome opportunity.
Lets see what happens in Semester 1 Week 1, planned for next week.
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